Westchester State of Education 2018: What's changing

The state of education in New York, and Westchester County, is expected to see some changes in 2018. Here's an overview of where some issues stand.
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Teacher's assistant Leanne Santo-Donanto greets students getting off the bus on the first day of school at George Washington School in White Plains Sept. 5, 2017. (Photo: Tania Savayan/The Journal News)Buy Photo

To kick off 2018, lohud reporters are assessing the state of critical issues on their beats. In this story, reporter Colleen Wilson looks at the state of education in Westchester County.

Several changes are underway for New York’s education system in 2018.

The state Board of Regents is poised to consider a proposal in March from the state Education Department that could modify how the school year is configured. Instead of a 180-day school year, there would be hourly requirements for classroom time — a minimum of 450 hours for half-day kindergarten, 900 hours for full-day kindergarten through grade 6, and 990 for grades 7-12.

The proposal, which aims to help administrators plan around snow days, professional development days and breaks, means half days count and districts would get the flexibility to start the year before Sept. 1. Lingering issues include how to address contract agreements with teachers and staff that are often based on days in school.

Guidelines on what private schools have to teach is also under revision, according to state Education Department Commissioner MaryEllen Elia. Current state law requires non-public school students receive “instruction that is substantially equivalent to that provided in the public schools.”

Although those schools are supposed to teach English, American history, math, science, health and gym, they aren’t required to administer tests or report results to the state. And, the local schools superintendent — who is tasked with ensuring the “equivalency” between public and private schools — doesn’t have the power to acquire records or reports or visit non-public schools. Elia said in December 2017 that will be changing and “updated guidance” will be issued “soon.”

More changes to state testing are also coming. Starting in spring 2018, students in grades 3-8 taking state exams in math and English will sit for four days of testing instead of six. After announcing the revision in June 2017, the Regents called it “a bold step forward” because it cuts down on the time children spend taking tests and “returns valuable instructional time to our teachers.”

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Ainsley Jones, 10, right, reads with Julia Cohen in Joyce Kinches' special class at the Ward Elementary School in New Rochelle, May 5, 2017. (Photo: Mark Vergari/The Journal News)

Elia said it was done in response to concerns by parents and teachers. In 2016, the state reduced the number of test questions and moved to untimed testing.

In December, the Regents pushed through an “emergency measure” allowing eligible students with disabilities to graduate high school without passing Regents exams. They will still have to take the exams and pass certain courses, but they won’t have to reach the minimum state test scores that were previously required. This broadens the eligibility to earn what’s known as a “local” diploma, which requires students to demonstrate they have skills for entry-level jobs by taking a work readiness exam or completing 216 hours of vocational coursework and job shadowing.

Regents Chancellor Betty Rosa called this a more “meaningful diploma” by offering an additional pathway to demonstrate proficiency of the state’s learning standards. This change went into effect immediately, but is still subject to a public comment period and will be voted on by the Regents in March for permanent adoption.

On the beat

Westchester County school districts ushered in a wave of 11 new superintendents last year. For many of them, the start of the 2017-18 school year was spent getting their footing in new districts and familiarizing themselves with staff, parents and students. In the new year, we'll be following those superintendents to see how their new roles are taking shape, and keeping an eye on Peekskill and Croton-Harmon, districts that have not yet filled their schools chief positions.

New York was the first state in the country to accept the My Brother's Keeper challenge, an idea and movement prompted by former President Barack Obama to improve the success and outcomes of boys of color. Of the more than 20 communities in the state that have committed to the challenge, Westchester has a strong showing with six municipalities and districts signed up. Yonkers Superintendent Edwin Quezada said in April said this was not a temporary program or initiative, rather a lasting “movement" to lift up a generation of young people of color.

By the same token, issues of disproportionality — meaning challenges that disproportionately affect people from certain races, backgrounds and ethnicities — have become a focal point across the state and for many area districts. In particular, student homelessness, high suspension rates, educator hires and academic achievement were key focal points for several Westchester districts last year, and will continue to be priority challenges in the year to come.

What to watch for

My Brother’s Keeper: Communities around the state — including Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, Ossining, Greenburgh, White Plains and Yonkers — have accepted the My Brother’s Keeper challenge in recent years with many coming on board in 2017. With the state doling out grants to committed communities, the next step is making sure the movement's momentum keeps up.

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In five years, Rebecca Turner Elementary School has transformed from one of Westchester’s lowest performing schools to one showing inspiring improvement.(Photo: Ricky Flores/The Journal News)

Opt-out: Starting in spring 2018, students in grades 3-8 will only sit for four days of exams instead of six, a change made by the state in response to parent and teacher concerns. Last year, the number of students statewide and locally who opted out of exams declined, the first time since students started refusing to take exams in 2014. Westchester's test-refusal rate for English exams was 15.1 percent, while 17.4 percent of students opted out of the math test.

Why you should care

New York’s education system employs more than 210,000 teachers and educates over 2.64 million students at a cost of about $25.8 billion in 2017. There is a lot at stake particularly as Elia begins to make changes and shape policy with the Board of Regents.

Key players

MaryEllen Elia: The education commissioner spent much of 2016 on a statewide listening tour talking to parents, educators and advocates about issues facing their districts and children. Policy changes were underway in 2017, with more to come this year.

Andy Pallotta: President of the New York State United Teachers union, which represents about 31,300 members in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties. The union has pushed back on key reforms like the controversial teacher evaluation system. The system tied evaluations to student achievement on state exams, a component that was placed on moratorium until the end of the 2019-20 school year.

Future College of New Rochelle president: Interviews are underway for candidates interested in taking over the school with an announcement for a new president expected in February. Dorothy Escribano, vice president for academic affairs and provost, stepped in as interim president when Judith Huntington resigned from the position in October 2016, the month the school revealed its financial woes. The new president is expected to start July 1.

By the numbers

$1.6 billion: Proposed increase to education funding by the Regents, smaller than the $2 billion boost they asked for last year.

19 percent: Percentage of students statewide who opted out of grades 3-8 state exams last year, down from 21 percent in 2016, and the first decrease since the movement started four years ago.

264,761: Number of administrators and teachers in New York as of June 30, 2017. This is down 7 percent since 2010 when there were about 285,000 educators, making some fearful of a future teacher shortage.

146,814: Number of students enrolled in traditional public and charter schools in Westchester County, according to state data from the 2016-17 school year.

Key dates

Feb. 26: Last day to submit public comments on the recent changes to earning a local diploma eligible to students with disabilities.

March 12-13: Dates when the Board of Regents could vote to change the school year calendar from days to hours, and to permanently adopt the local diploma changes for students with disabilities.

April 16-18: English language arts exams for grades 3-8.

May 1-3: Math exams for grades 3-8.

May 15: Annual school district budget vote and school board elections.